premington
Well-Known Member
I've been following this thread on and off since day 1, and I want to say I may be inspired to finally brew a gruit (I had always followed the assumption people didn't brew gruits* because hops were just better). I may find that I have been corrected.
How is the head retention on your brews? I've heard/read that soap leaves a residue that kills head.
I used a tsp or two in a 5 gallon batch of beer a while back and it came out tasting perfumey. However, the lavender blonde I tried in Colorado Springs was good enough to inspire my failed batch. From I can recall, it smelled fragrantly floral and the taste was very similar. It was the perfect amount of lavender. Just noticeable.
Hey... That's fantastic to read! I'd definitely recommend you try a gruit.
But gruits take more time and effort, since so little information is available on additions and concentrations. It requires more research and trial teas and brews. And there's a chance on your first batch, it won't come out the way you intended, and experience and further fermentations will refine your recipe to be something truly unique and all your own!
Hops are so much easier. Everything is in this one, well-documented plant. Your bittering, aroma, and flavoring are all there. With a gruit, you have to figure out the bittering, aroma, and flavoring. It's a real challenge!
Give it a try, and let us all know what you're doing. That way, we all learn from each other.
Thanks for the info on lavender. A friend of mine used it in his gruit and found it quite powerful. He's made his recipe a few more times and adjusted his additions, and I think now he's happy with his lavender quantity. I'm curious to try it. I've never tasted lavender before. To me, the smell is heavenly!!! I absolutely swoon over the smell of lavender.